1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus capable of injecting water or other suitable fluid directly beneath the ground in order to water roots, and the like, and particularly to an underground irrigating apparatus capable of using the irrigating medium for assisting in inserting the apparatus in the ground to be irrigated.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has long been known to treat soil used for various crops, by inserting appropriate device into the ground to be treated. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,762,171, issued Oct. 2, 1973, to I. Bjorheim, et al, discloses a ground heater which injects steam into the soil being treated in order to thaw same. More commonly, however, such apparatus is employed for purposes of direct irrigation of roots, and the like, for fertilizing crops, or for killing weeds.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 749,758, issued Jan. 19, 1904, to W. G. Templeton, discloses an underground irrigator device including two pieces of pipe connected at right angles by a shutoff valve. One of the pipes is designed for connection to a hose and the other for insertion into soil to be irrigated. The latter pipe is provided with a water outlet at its lower end and ground cutting teeth for facilitating insertion in the soil to be treated, and may be equipped with a nozzle if desired. A stream of water or other medium emerges only from the lower, or nozzle end of the ground insertable pipe so as to aid in penetration of the pipe as well as irrigating the soil. Further, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,893,707, issued Jan. 10, 1933, and 1,964,064, issued June 26, 1934, both to G. C. Karshner, disclose an apparatus for underground fertilization of tree roots, and the like, which are similar to the device discussed above in that a treating medium emerges only from a lower end of a longitudinally extending pipe, or tube, inserted into the soil to be treated. In U.S. Pat. No. 1,893,707, a hand-operated shutoff squeeze lever can be employed to control the flow of a liquid fertilizer into the soil being treated.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,850,992, issued Sept. 9, 1958, to J. J. Hooper, et al, discloses a garden watering tool which includes a plurality of prongs insertable into soil to be irrigated, but in which the irrigating medium flows out of a downwardly extending pointed tip of each of the prongs in the same manner as in the device as discussed above. U.S. Pat. No. 3,326,306, issued June 20, 1967, to B. B. Weir, discloses a water spade, which, although primarily intended as a space in which a fluid medium assists in digging, will inherently irrigate the soil in which the spade is being used. This device is similar to those discussed previously, however, in fact the flow of water or other fluid medium is only through the end of a pipe insertable into the ground being treated.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,058,138, issued Apr. 8, 1913, to A. C. Ballou, discloses a device primarily intended for preparing soil for transplanting purposes and in which an inner sleeve slidably disposed in an appertured outer sleeve causes a lateral flow of water when the device has been inserted into soil to be treated. A primary difference between this device and those discussed above is that the triggering flow is lateral of the ground insertable pipe member as opposed to axial flow. In a like manner, U.S. Pat. No. 3,900,962, issued Aug. 26, 1975, to S. F. Chan, discloses a fertilizing apparatus which is wind driven for metering air and collected rain directly into the soil to be treated. Like the device discussed immediately above, the flow of fluid from the portion of the device inserted into soil being treated is lateral as opposed to axial of the inserted portion.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,875,713, issued Mar. 3, 1959, to W. M. Schoffner, discloses a root feeder combining both lateral and axial discharge from a ground insertable portion. This combined flow, however, is constant in both directions, instead of the more desirable primarily axial flow drain during insertion and primarily exclusively lateral flow after insertion.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,336,522, issued Dec. 14, 1943, to J. K. Aiman, and 3,659,536, issued May 2, 1972, to R. B. White, overcome the principal drawback of the device discussed immediately above by controlling axial and lateral flow as desirable. To accomplish this end, the former device employs separate control valves disposed in a portion of the apparatus which remains above ground, while the latter device permits axial flow at all times but has a sliding sleeve valve disposed in the ground penetrating portion thereof for blocking and unblocking the lateral apertures. A principal disadvantage of this construction is that the sliding parts can become clogged by dirt during the ground penetrating operation.